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Certs are a pain

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by learnasigo

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Okay.. I designed a windows 2000 infastructure WITHOUT having a MCSE and now I maintain it withot having a MCSA. Trust me I've seriously thought about getting a certification, but everytime I start studying REAL WORLD problems as work get in the wayor I just get this sinking feeling that I'm wasting time.

Whats funny is everything I learned about windows 2000 I learned by trial and error and looking up information on the web, anything I learned while studying for an exam I didn't trust andput to the test.

Well thats all I have to say about that.. just needed to vent. I honestly think certs are a waste of time and are very very expensive. BUT HR see's them as a way to judge your skill level.. which.. could be learned in a good interview.

6 replies

by montecarlo72

I agree totally with you.
I got my CCNA a few years back and it is time recertify and I am not looking forward to it, I did learn alot, but i am not using what i learned specifically, most of our stuff in not cisco, is it worth the time and headache to take it again? Alot of times the ppl with the certs do not know as much as the ppl without them?
What is up with all the hype about certs, just another way to get your money? I do not have the time to study and take the test again, they addso much crap to it every few months that there is no telling what is on it now?

I hate to let it go, but why go though all the headache when i don't use it that much?
Jerrett

by don_c

What happens when your position is no longer needed and you are find that all the good jobs require certs i think experience is worth alot more than a peice a paper you dont know how many educated idots i come across in a days time

by montecarlo72

That is very true, Although I am at a steady IT job right now, i guess you never really know. I am going to keep my cert up, just spouting at the mouth earlier, but like you say alot of educated idiots out there, i would like to get some more certsthat are more suited for what I am currently doing. It is just really hard to think about the recert, and not using what i learned specifically now. So easy to forgot!!
Jerrett

by rknrlkid

See my responses in the "Weak pool of applicants" thread. Certifications ARE a royal pain...BUT...

Unfortunately, they are one of the ways that businesses see you as "competent." I do not need A+ or MCP or MCSA for what I currently do, but I got it anyway, to a) show that I am just as competent or more than anyone else and b) to ensure that I am prepared in the event I find another position that I can take advantage of.

Think CAREER and not job. Yes, certs are a hassle. But, I think they do pay off in the long run. The current logic where I am is to get vendor neutral certs like A+, Network+, Security+, and iNet+. Maybe one MCP, like Windows 2000 Professional or Server. You never have to renew those, and you have punched the ticket your current employer or future employer wants. You are competitive with your peers, and actually ahead of the game in many aspects.

We may not like it, but its one of the parts of the game.

by montecarlo72

I guess you are right, Certs are a pain, but have to have them to be in the game. I really like your idea about having neutral Certs, I may head in that direction, but keep my CCNA current also.
You have put this in a new perspective I guess.
Thanks
Jerrett

by timkress

Like them or hate them, certifications are filters used by all organizations to reduce ever-growing applicant pools down to manageable sizes. Bachelor and Masters degrees serve the same purpose. I think it's time to get beyond the arguments that I have been hearing since the eighties that certifications don't mean you are a good technician. Everyone, including HR clerks, knows this. Again, these are culling tools. If you want to have a chance to show those skills in a work situation, bite the bullet and get certified. Don't waste energy bemoaning the fact that they are "unfair". While you are doing that, a junior person is getting certified and will get the interview that you have denied yourself.

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